1. Field of the Invention
In a printing system in which a data processing apparatus and a printing apparatus can communicate, the invention relates to the data processing apparatus for obtaining a type of recording medium which is fed in the printing apparatus and controlling a forming process of image information according to a set print mode, the printing apparatus, a print control method, a storing medium in which a computer-readable program has been stored, and the program.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, generally, a printing system is constructed by: a color printer which can output a color image; a host computer for controlling the printer and forming print data; and a communication interface for connecting the printer to the host computer.
Among such printers, there is a printer which can perform “borderless” printing onto the whole surface of a recording medium without leaving margins around the four peripheries of the recording medium.
In such a printer, after an image larger than a size of recording medium is formed, it is printed so as to lap out of the four peripheries of the recording medium to print onto the whole surface of the recording medium. Ink in lapping portions is absorbed by, for example, an ink absorber provided for a platen unit of the printer and collected. Upon such “borderless” printing, the user designates the execution of the “borderless” printing in the print setting on a printer driver, thereby executing a printing process based on the setting.
An ink jet printer among the color printers selectively uses a variety of sheets in accordance with the application. For example, as well as plain paper which is used in a copying apparatus or the like, the following various sheets exist: coated paper whose surface has been coated with silica or the like in order to suppress a blur of the ink and improve coloring; glossy paper which is used to form a photograph-like image such as a silver halide photograph; an OHP film for a transparent original; transfer paper for performing iron printing; a backprint film; and the like.
When the printing is performed to those sheets (media), the user previously selects a type of recording medium (sheet) serving as a print target in the print setting on the printer driver and executes the proper printing based on the setting.
In recent years, there is a printer equipped with a sensor called a media sensor for automatically discriminating the type of sheet.
In such a printer, as shown in FIG. 3, the types of sheets to be classified are mainly classified into about five types (regions surrounded by broken lines in the diagram) and a color process and print quality suitable for each group are selected. In this example, light is irradiated onto the sheet surface and intensity of the reflection light (regular reflection light and diffusion reflection light) is used for the discrimination.
There has also been proposed a printer in which a size of sheet instead of the type of sheet is discriminated and, when it is intended to print data which laps out of the sheet size, the data is edited in accordance with the sheet size (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H05-147304).
However, the above conventional techniques have the following problems.
For example, when the “borderless” printing is executed to the whole surface, since the ink is deposited up to edge portions of the sheet, there is a case where the sheet is curled considerably in dependence on the type of sheet which is used.
If the printing is continued in such a curled state, a movable part in the printer can be come into contact with the curled sheet and cause a failure.
The sheet can be also caught into the movable part and cause a paper jam. Therefore, if the sheet which is improper for the “borderless” printing is selected as a type of sheet upon print setting on the printer driver, designation of the “borderless” printing is inhibited.
However, in the general ink jet printer without the media sensor, there is a possibility that the user does not perform the proper setting with respect to the type of sheet and the “borderless” printing is executed in the improper sheet setting. Particularly, in the case where the “borderless” printing is possible in the default sheet type, there is a possibility that the user who does not have enough knowledge of the setting of the sheet type executes only the designation of the “borderless” printing and completes the print setting without setting the sheet type.
In such a case, if the user sets a sheet which is improper for the “borderless” printing and executes the print starting operation, there is a fear that a printer main body is damaged or the sheet is jammed and the sheet and ink are wasted.
To solve a part of the above problems, there has been proposed a printer which is equipped with the media sensor that can specify the type of sheet and automatically performs the print setting suitable for the sheet type. However, the following problems still exist in such a case.
That is, when the sheet discriminated by the media sensor is improper for the “borderless” printing, the printing process by the printer driver has to be stopped in order to block the “borderless” printing to the sheet.
Consequently, although the damage to the printer main body or the wasteful consumption of the sheet and ink can be avoided, in order to obtain an image output, the user has to execute such a troublesome operation requiring predetermined knowledge that after he changes the setting on the printer driver and designates the execution of the printing with a border, he again instructs the printing.
In the printer in which the sheet size is discriminated, although data which cannot be fully enclosed in the sheet size can be outputted in accordance with the sheet size, nothing is considered about a difference of conditions due to a difference of sheet types of the same sheet size that enables or disables the “borderless” printing.